DSpace Repository :: Browsing by Author "Williams, Susan E."

Browsing by Author "Williams, Susan E."

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An analysis and performance guide to Dominick Argento's To Be Sung Upon the Water: barcarolles and nocturnes for high voice, clarinet/bass clarinet, and piano
(University of Alabama Libraries, 2015) Frazier, Sadie; Fleming, Susan C.; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
This document contributes significantly to the meager list of sources that discuss Dominick Argento’s cycle for high voice, clarinet, and piano, “To Be Sung Upon The Water.” Argento is well known for his song literature and a number of his vocal works have received much attention; the cycle From the Diary of Virginia Woolf was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1975. Through theoretical analysis of the work as well as suggestions for performance practice, this document will provide both a practical and scholarly source that will expand our understanding of the cycle and promote more well-deserved study of this lesser performed work. Patrice Michaels, who made a professional recording of the cycle with pianist Bettie Buccheri and clarinetist Larry Combs in 1996, contributed an interview. Dominick Argento’s autobiographical work, Catalogue Raisonné As Memoir: A Composer’s Life contains behind-the-scenes information about his compositions. Dr. Kevin Chance gave insightful information and was very helpful in coaching this work by helping to coordinate tempi, influencing stylistic choices, and uncovering some wonderful nuances and the tributes to other composers, sometimes in the form of musical quotations, that Argento implied in the work. Further chapters provide insight into practical difficulties, which presented many obstacles in rehearsal. For instance, no singer cues are included in the clarinet edition of the score. Also, the singer’s edition of the score includes the untransposed clarinet parts which were helpful when I rehearsed alone, but in ensemble rehearsal left fewer ways to communicate about wrong notes or entrances. This document provides a resource for future performers of this work in the form of poetical and theoretical analyses, as well as helpful stylistic information. The poetic and musical richness within this lesser performed work by Dominick Argento can be discovered with the help of the sources interviewed and performance experience.
The development of Taiwanese western vocal music since 1895: an overview
(University of Alabama Libraries, 2015) Tseng, Li-Han; Fleming, Susan C.; Williams, Susan E.; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
The term Taiwanese first came into use after World War II. In 1949, civil war (the Communist Revolution) in China forced General Chiang Kai-Shek (蔣中正, 1887-1975) to move to the island of Taiwan. Many immigrants from mainland China followed him. Some inhabitants of Taiwan, the descendants of 17th century immigration, called themselves Taiwanese to distinguish themselves from the new wave of immigrants following Chiang Kai-Shek. These new immigrants were labeled “Out-of-State” (外省人) people. Nonetheless, today, with yet another change in political climate, people call themselves Taiwanese—even those people who came to Taiwan after World War II—to differentiate themselves from the citizens of the People’s Republic of China. Currently, Taiwanese refers to people who were born in Taiwan, grew up in Taiwan, were educated in Taiwan, and hold a passport from Taiwan, the Republic of China. This complicated historical background motivated people (especially since the 1970s) to focus more on Taiwan’s varied cultural identity and inspired them to create beautiful, nationalistic art. Since 1895, both Western musical traditions and the political climate in Taiwan exerted heavy influence on Taiwanese vocal music. This recital and accompanying manuscript offer glimpses into the expression of the Taiwanese spirit through song during three distinct political periods in Taiwan’s history: the music and poetry of Teng Yu-Hsien (鄧雨賢, 1906-1944), written during the Japanese colonization and lasting from 1895-1945; the work of Lu Chuan-Sheng (呂泉生, 1916-2008) and Hsiao Tyzen (蕭泰然, 1938-2015), who composed much of their work during the period after World War II and up to 1990; and from 1990 to the present, during which many composers continue to work with Western influences and their Taiwanese heritage. Since 1949, because of the political climate, Taiwan's political status has remained controversial. Many people claim Taiwan an independent country known as the Republic of China, and it functions in this way today; others insist Taiwan is merely an island constituting part of the People’s Republic of China.
The Life and Works of Clara Kathleen Rogers
(University of Alabama Libraries, 2024) Cen, Ziwei; Williams, Susan E.; Houghtaling, Paul
Clara Kathleen Rogers (1844-1931) was an English-born American singer, composer, educator, and writer. Her multifaceted artistic career spanned over six decades and two continents. Her reputation and influence during her lifetime contrast dramatically with her obscurity today. This document explores the enduring value of her legacy through an examination of her memoirs, compositions, and pedagogical insights. Chapter 1 ("Introduction") outlines the purpose and methodology of this study and provides an overview of the existing literature on Rogers. The second chapter, entitled "Rogers as Observer and Narrator," delves into her life, focusing on her observations during her journeys across various countries and cultures. It presents her autobiography as a valuable resource for music scholars, as well as an engaging reading for both aspiring singers and general readers. Chapter 3 ("Rogers as Composer") begins with an exploration on Rogers's ambiguous self-perception of her identity as a composer. This is followed by an overview of Rogers's musical output and its reception, and a discussion on Rogers's compositional style. The chapter also includes analyses of several representative songs from her Six Songs, op.10 (1882), and her two sets of Browning Songs, op. 27 (1893) and op. 32 (1900). The chapter concludes with a discussion of the potential pedagogical value of her songs. The fourth chapter ("Rogers as Pedagogue") examines Rogers's pedagogical perspectives and contributions. Rogers approached singing from a psychological perspective. Her poetic, philosophical language, and spontaneous, idiosyncratic style of writing may explain why her books are only recognized by a small group of people. This chapter reviews the principles presented in Rogers's books and organizes them into three categories: her singing philosophy, her singing technique, and her teaching strategies, with the purpose of making her fascinating thoughts more accessible to a broader audience. Through this comprehensive study of Rogers's life and works, this document contributes to a greater awareness and appreciation of Clara Kathleen Rogers, fostering more research about her and encouraging more performances of her music.
Opera on the prairie: a biographical and musical analysis of Felix Vinatieri and the American volunteer
(University of Alabama Libraries, 2015) Landis, Ryan; Houghtaling, Paul H.; Pappas, Nikos; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
Felix Vinatieri (1834-1891), an Italian composer, immigrated to the United States in 1859 and eventually settled in Yankton, South Dakota. His service as bandmaster with the Seventh Cavalry under General George Armstrong Custer has led scholars of his music thus far to remain focused solely on his band music. However, also of great interest are his American comic operas; these compositions, dating from 1877 to 1891, are among the earliest surviving operas composed west of the Mississippi. The composer's favorite, The American Volunteer, was to have been presented at the Columbian World's Fair in Chicago in 1893, but plans were abandoned after his death from pneumonia on December 5, 1891. This document has several purposes. The first is to provide a brief biographical sketch of the life of Felix Vinatieri. Second, it will provide an abbreviated development of opera within the United States, specifically focused upon how American burlesque developed out of proceeding styles and genres. Third, it will provide a closer examination of The American Volunteer, and consider why Vinatieri referred to it as a burlesque opera. Finally, this document will produce a functional performance edition of three selections from The American Volunteer. These selections will be analyzed and comparisons will be made to the music of Vinatieri's contemporaries. Material for this study comes from a variety of sources. Primary sources were drawn largely from two collections, The Vinatieri Archive at the National Music Museum which held musical manuscripts, newspaper articles, military documents, and other resources; and The Dakota Territorial Museum which contained family accounts, and early history for the Dakota Territories and its residents. The study of Vinatieri's music has revealed a competent composer who, though not innovative in his compositional style, was willing to push boundaries with the content and topics contained in his work. Being one of the earliest operas composed west of the Mississippi River The American Volunteer has historical importance and deserves greater consideration.
Operatic Adaptations of Éile Zola's Thérèse Raquin: a Study and Comparative Analysis
(University of Alabama Libraries, 2022) Pritchard, Laura Jordan; Noffsinger, Jonathan; Williams, Susan E.; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
The first theatrical adaptation of Émile Zola’s novel, Thérèse Raquin, took the stage on July 11, 1873, with a script written by the author. Since then, writers have been enthralled by the unusual challenge of transforming a naturalistic novel into a theatrical success, thereby making Thérèse Raquin a popular story to adapt for the theatre. Scholars have provided analytical comparisons of film and play adaptations, but research is lacking on the operatic adaptations by Philipp Maintz, Aharon Harlap, and Tobias Picker. Likewise, no examination has been conducted on how these adaptations compare to one another or how they evolved from the original text. This document explores the relationship between these adaptations and Zola’s fiction. It also examines action and overall structure of the plot, character portrayal, musical settings of the text, musical symbolism, the impact of Zola’s naturalism and French Impressionism, and the cultural contexts in which these adaptations were written. The primary purpose for this project is to bring awareness to the exceptional adapted operas and musicals of Thérèse Raquin, as well as explore the relationship between these three operatic adaptations and Zola’s fiction.
Popular idioms in select organ works of Naji Hakim, Jon Laukvik, and Wolf-Günter Leidel
(University of Alabama Libraries, 2018) Benford, Alexander; Freese, Faythe R.; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
While a great deal has been written on the topic of musical borrowing in general, there is a significant gap in the literature discussing its implications in works for the pipe organ. This document will explore the ways in which three contemporary composers borrow various stylistic elements to merge compositional styles of the past with popular music genres of the twentieth century in their organ works. Naji Hakim’s Gershwinesca (2000), Jon Laukvik’s Suite (1986), and Wolf-Günter Leidel’s Toccata delectatione (1972) are the works which will be discussed in this document. Identification and understanding of stylistic influence is a major component of this document. I will discuss the various influences found in each work, such as styles of jazz, specific performers whose styles are being emulated, other instruments being imitated, and historical schools of organ composition. It is my intent that this document will prove useful to organists who wish to explore compositions such as these by reinforcing the importance of having a thorough understanding of performance practice considerations when attempting interpretation of the sometimes-foreign idioms of popular musical styles.
Songs of the soul: an exploration of music by African American composers
(University of Alabama Libraries, 2016) Jordan, Christopher Cornelius; Houghtaling, Paul H.; Williams, Susan E.; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
When considering the breadth of American song literature, the works of African American composers are not as commonly found within the standard repertoire. When songs by African American composers are performed in a recital, they are typically limited to arrangements of spirituals. While these pieces certainly deserve a place in song recitals, this limited programming leaves audiences unaware of the rich history of contributions made to the genre of art song by African American composers. Hopefully, by programming a collection of songs by African Americans on this recital, this repertoire might receive deserved exposure. The composers discussed in this document represent various time periods, educational backgrounds, and life experiences. More specifically, the five musicians on this program can be divided into two musical groups: Modernists and Traditionalists. The Modernists, Robert Owens and H. Leslie Adams, were born in the 1920s and 1930s, while the Traditionalists, Camille Nickerson, Hall Johnson, and Margaret Bonds, were born between 1888 and 1913. The pieces featured on this program by Modernist composers are original compositions, while the Traditionalist’s pieces are arrangements of American folk tradition. Together, they present a rich variety of African American classical music of the twentieth century. African Americans are not one-dimensional and neither is the music that emanates from these composers. The pieces performed on this recital contain elements of jazz, blues, and other musical idioms commonly found in the African American tradition. The poetry, much of it written by African Americans, presents a depiction of a culture not only filled with struggle, but rich in pride, music, and love. This document is designed for the musician who is dedicated to the teaching, performing, and preservation of American song literature. It is my hope that the music programmed on this recital will provide a glimpse into the wealth of art songs by African American composers and inspire others to explore this rich and multifaceted repertoire.
A study of Korean diction for choral conductors using the principles of the Korean writing system
(University of Alabama Libraries, 2017) Lee, Sooyeon; Ratledge, John; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
As both composing and performing multicultural choral music has increased, choral directors are required to obtain pronunciation of non-European languages. Many non-European languages are written in non-Romanized writing systems, but for convenience, the original lyrics are transcribed to the Roman alphabet in most choral music publications. Especially, Romanized Korean text in Korean choral music is often problematic due to inconsistencies in writing. Moreover, corresponding IPA symbols of Korean characters do not match current Korean diction materials. The purpose of this study is to seek a better way to represent Korean text in the publications. It was found that the Korean script (Hangeul) is necessary to represent Korean lyrics in printed music for recognizing the original words and the exact sounds. As Hangeul is an unfamiliar writing system, this document discusses Korean pronunciation using the principles of Hunminjeongeum (the original name of the Korean writing system) to facilitate non-Korean speakers. The corresponding phonetic features of Korean characters and IPA symbols were also analyzed to determine the most appropriate IPA symbols for Korean characters. Also, this document addresses several questions regarding inconsistency of the IPA symbols in the current Korean diction resources in the view of linguistic approach. For this reason, this document becomes more empirical than pedagogical. As the IPA symbols are used widely in diction manuals, the readers are required to have knowledge of the IPA symbols. The supplemental audio examples will be helpful to readers understand the Korean sounds. As a result, this document provides groundwork for a future publication of a Korean lyric diction manual and music publications for presenting Korean text in both Hangeul, along with the official Romanization with additional information such as an IPA transcription of the Korean choral text and a word-for-word English translation.
Taming the tension: addressing upper body issues for the singer
(University of Alabama Libraries, 2019) Willis, Scott Edward; Houghtaling, Paul H.; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
A common vocal obstacle for many singers is detrimental tension, its occurrence in the upper body in particular, and how to alleviate it. Preconceived ideas of singing, poor habits of posture, or uninformed exposure and performance experience in contemporary vocal styles, could contribute to various tension problems for singers. This document examines the pedagogical research of several renowned voice teachers, showing how addressing excessive tension through voice teaching has changed in the past two centuries. In researching the views of these voice teachers, a compendium of pedagogical strategies and vocal exercises that these individuals have identified to help remedy unwanted tension in the upper body has been compiled. Research on physical activities, from Alexander Technique and yoga to dance training and Laryngeal Manipulation Therapy (LMT) will be included. These forms of activities are becoming common among voice teachers and students when working with alleviating tension related issues. This document focuses on the following areas: jaw, tongue, neck, shoulders, chest, and intrinsic and extrinsic muscles of the larynx. It is the author's hope that the research and resulting compilation of historical and modern techniques designed to reduce tension will serve as a useful tool for voice teachers and performers alike.
Three depictions of women from the perspective of men
(University of Alabama Libraries, 2014) Miller, Marcus Samuel; Fleming, Susan C.; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
The purpose of this manuscript is to set into context a recital that highlights three categories of songs depicting women from the perspective of men. The recital was held on 01 April 2014. The program and translations of the song texts appear in an appendix at the end of this manuscript. The selections are from different time periods and locales; the women in these songs range from the most holy to the most depraved, from the most to least loving. In the first category, "The Depiction of Women as Ethereal Beings," women are viewed by men as more elevated in character or in status, and thus more powerful. "The Depiction of Women as Objects of Love" presents male expressions of love for women on a more equal level, using images of nature. "The Depiction of Women with Earthly Passions and Vices" offers the male view of women of low moral character and values, depicted as bawdy, drunk, insatiable, and possessed of other earthy traits. This manuscript focuses on the literature, composers, poets, performance, and thematic elements of the accompanying recital.
Voodoo and slave culture in Frederick Delius' Koanga
(University of Alabama Libraries, 2018) Johnson, Jillian; Williams, Susan E.; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
Exoticism was a reflection of European societies' increasing interest in foreign places and cultures. Better access to the outside world allowed for increased exploration, colonization, travel, and exposure to different cultures. In music, composers' interests in the "other" prompted them to capture foreign sounds. One of the most prominent subcategories within musical exoticism was Orientalism, but exoticism involved other features, including indigenous folk traditions, particularly those of Native Americans and Africans. Interest in the music of these groups often prompted composers to travel to the United States to experience their music first hand. During his travel to the United States, English composer Frederick Delius (1862-1934) grew fond of the Negro melodies he heard, and he frequently utilized musical features of the African American folk tradition in his compositions, in particular his opera Koanga. Although his work is powerful in many ways, particularly for its use of African American characters, Koanga reflects the sometimes exploitative nature of exoticism by using foreign subjects to entertain privileged Western audiences and to embellish overused plots, such as love stories. This document examines Delius' deviations from the original plot of the novel on which Koanga was based (George Washington Cable's The Grandissimes) and details the ways in which this impacted perceptions of the opera. Likewise, it focuses on societal and cultural influences that impacted compositional choices and investigates possible reasoning behind his choices. Because of Delius' deviations from Cable's novel, the manner in which he set certain musical material, and certain performance choices in initial stagings, this document, while acknowledging this was not Delius' intent, will draw the conclusion that the opera promotes stereotypical racial tropes that Cable was challenging in his novel.

Browsing by Author "Williams, Susan E."

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